Minnesota Vikings: 3 Standouts vs. Packers in Week 2
1. Dalvin Cook
The final and top standout in the Week 2 contest against Green Bay for the Minnesota Vikings was their young, promising running back in Dalvin Cook. For the second straight week, Cook tallied over 100 yards in a game and built onto an already stellar start to the 2019 campaign and his third professional season in the NFL.
In the regular season opener last Sunday at home at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis against the Atlanta Falcons, Cook finished that game — which saw Minnesota cruise to a dominant 28-12 win over a tough NFC opponent — leading things for the Vikings on the offensive side of the field.
In the Week 1 victory over the Falcons, Cook tallied a game-best 111 yards rushing on 21 carries and two touchdowns. With an average of 5.3 yards per carry, Cook’s longest rush of the game was a 22-yard run.
On Sunday afternoon in Green Bay, Cook outshined that performance to build onto a strong beginning to the year, tallying a career-high 154 yards rushing with one touchdown on a total of 20 carries. Along with breaking out for a 75-yard touchdown run in the opening half, Cook also hauled in a total of 37 receiving yards one three catches for Minnesota.
As we’ve already seen early on in his NFL career, Cook has been a key piece and has played a large part in what Minnesota does offensively and the potential the offense has moving forward. The biggest thing for the young running back is that he remains healthy and is able to stay on the field for a full season, which has yet to happen so far in his tenure with the Vikings.
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It will be important for Cook to maintain his level of play within Minnesota’s offense in 2019 to allow the Vikings to continue to take the next step after missing the postseason a year ago. With the wide receiving duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs on the outsides, Cook will have plenty of opportunities to operate within Minnesota’s ground game throughout the season.
On Sunday, Cook was once again a standout and helped lead the Vikings offensively both in the running and passing games.